Lisa & Javier's San Francisco Engagement Session | Palace of Fine Arts, Crissy Field, and Ferry Terminal

I am beyond excited to photographer Lisa & Javier's wedding at the Grand Island Mansion next year! Funny story (okay, not so funny), I was actually an hour and 15 minutes late to our wedding consultation. I have never been late EVER IN MY LIFE. So technically maybe a few times, but I am one of those freaks who is early for everything and typically waits in my car for 30 minutes as to not be obnoxious with how early I am. Well, for whatever reason my brain decided to stop working, I didn't set the alert in my phone, and I remembered while literally in the shower with soap in my hair...at the exact time I was supposed to be meeting them. I ran, soapy hair and all, stark naked through my living room screaming at my husband to find my phone so I could call them. I explained what happened, the truth -that I'm a moron- and they were kind and generous enough to wait for me. Oh, and did I mention that we were meeting about 40 minutes from my home? I may or may not have exceeded the speed limit a few times while my heart raced frantically because I was so horribly guilty.

Seriously, I cannot believe that they didn't hate me after that, much less liked me enough to hire me for their wedding. But, at our wedding consult we bonded over tech (Javier works at Netflix with my husband and actually takes the same shuttle!), our mutual dislike for flying, and many other things.

They chose the Palace of Fine Arts and Crissy Field for their engagement session - both Lisa and Javier went to college in San Francisco and spent a lot of time hanging out on the grass of Chrissy field together and with friends so it was a perfect choice. We also headed to the Ferry Terminal and Embarcadero as the sun went down. It was the perfect day with new friends, and it certainly didn't help that we chose one of the nicest days of the year...it was almost 90 degrees in the city!

The Mountain Terrace in Woodside | San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Photographer

The Mountain Terrace is a gorgeous wedding venue located among the redwoods up in Woodside. With a charming patio lit by fairy lights at night and a expansive lawn ringed by towering redwoods, Mountain Terrace is the quintessential Northern California wedding venue!

We drove up to tour the venue on a warm summer morning where temps in the valley were set to reach nearly 90, but as we drove up the beautiful winding road I watched the temperature in my car slowly drop. By the time we arrive at Mountain Terrace we were greeted by a cool breeze that was so refreshing in contrast to the heat just a few miles down the mountain. Mountain Terrace is a wonderful way to escape the heat while still staying "in town".

Right off of the highway the wedding venue looks a bit unassuming with just a sign letting you know that you've arrived. It's not until your guests enter a charming back door that they will see the beautiful grounds of Mountain Terrace. A large, sweeping lawn opens up to towering redwoods and a partial view of the Bay Area below. Green surrounds you in a way that feels much like a secluded meadow.

To the left you will find wooden wine barrels, Adirondack chairs circling a small fire pit, and a wooden tree swing for the kids (and maybe adults too!) The back of the venue features a large patio for your guests to dine, complete with string lights to add ambiance once the sun dips below the horizon. The large, flat lawn is great for kids as well as any potential lawn games you might want to set up. 

Indoors you will find a large bar, cute getting ready room for the bride, and the kitchen.

The stats:

Number of Guests: 120-150 on average, up to 300 max.

Catering: Done in-house. Accommodations can be made for special requests such as kosher, Chinese, Indian, etc.

Average price: Packages range widely for base site rental fees, anywhere from $2000-$7000 depending on the time of year, day of the week and the number of hours.

Standard package: The standard package includes 8 hours on site, generally from 2-10 with the bride and groom choosing the ceremony and reception times. Chairs for the ceremony and tables and chairs for the reception are provided for up to 150 people. A day of wedding coordinator is not required, but can be added on to the package. Food and drinks are separate. A $100 ceremony fee includes a beautiful arbor that you can decorate with gorgeous flowers. Mountain Terrace also offers morning wedding packages for 5 hours from 9-2 on days where there isn’t an 8 hour wedding already booked or when the wedding is starting at 2 or 3.

I hope this post was helpful in your search for a gorgeous wedding venue in the San Francisco Bay Area! Sarah Hart, the sales manager was so wonderful to work with, so I know that you won’t regret choosing Mountain Terrace as your wedding venue. If you’re looking for venue that offers redwoods as a backdrop for your ceremony, Mountain Terrace is definitely a fantastic choice! Contact Mountain Terrace at info@themountainterrace.com or by calling 650-851-1606 and tell them that Bre sent you.

San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Photographer | Regale Winery Los Gatos

Stacy and Brian made my job easy. Stacy sent me a perfectly laid out timeline a couple of weeks before the wedding and when I asked who her event planner was she casually said, "me" :) They each got ready at a beautiful hotel in downtown Los Gatos before we all got in cars (okay, so I totally rode in a limo) up the mountain to the stunning Regale Winery. From there Stacy and Brian did their first look, we took portraits of the wedding party around the grounds, and finished in plenty of time for everyone to go back inside for some air conditioning.

One of the coolest things for me as their photographer was seeing my former bride, Kira, as their officiant! I photographed Kira and Jordan's wedding back in 2013 in Monterey (Jordan was a groomsman and gave a pretty hilarious speech). Another one of my good friends was in attendance all the way from Hawaii with her husband so while I had only met Stacy and Brian a couple of times prior to the wedding I felt very welcome and at home among their friends and family.

The speeches were full of tears, even more laughs, and then we snuck off for a few more photos just before the sun dipped below the hills covered in vineyards.

I had the best time and yet again feel so lucky to have the opportunity to photograph days like these. I never knew how fulfilling it would be to document weddings and the longer I do it the more I appreciate it. Moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area has made a great impact on my business and photographing weddings so close to home is a great treat!